Integrated Waste Management: Towards a European Recycling Society

A great effort is required from EU Countries to move to a real recycling society. Waste management in many cases is still performed widely without an integrated strategy, and it results in unsustainable resource consumption, in terms of raw materials, energy and useful land. However, there are tools, technologies and strategies which could lead the process to a more (if not absolutely) sustainable future. In particular, the application of Life Cycle concepts could really foster an enhanced knowledge of industrial activities and products, allowing a deeper detection of the most impacting steps, with positive consequences from environmental, economical and social perspectives. Furthermore, many tools are available to assess not only the environmental impact from a global point of view, but also to understand the possible effects on the nearby areas and to the population living in the vicinity of a pollution source. Scientific, technical and managerial knowledge which has been reached at present, could act synergistically to greatly improve the situation of many European and Developing Countries, which could benefit in a quick time of an advanced implementation of these tools.